Hudson Hotel

The Philippe Starck-designed Hudson Hotel is sexy—a fashion-over-function concept achieved partially through country-chic-meets-modern minimalism, but mostly via a hotel-wide near-darkness, which adds a sultry excitement to the lobby-level public spaces (a cool hip-hop club, a collegiate Library Bar, and brick-lined hallways filled with make-out nooks) while simultaneously hiding the scratches, scuffs and chips of the wood-lined, white-furniture-filled rooms. The standard doubles are tiny, and though the location next to the Time Warner Center and Central Park is high-rent, you’ll be happier if you find a deal at an online discounter.  You’ll also be happier if you visit in the warmer months—the Hudson’s most attractive assets are its greenery-filled Private Park and its Skylight Terrace, both closed in winter.